Florida's lizards: The Anole

Spring is in the air in Florida, and our local lounge lizards are looking for a date to the spring dance.These ravishing reptiles use their brightly colored dewlap, or throat fan, to entice the lady lizards into mating during the spring and summer.If you are from Florida, you have grown up watching these curious creatures scurry about our sidewalks and landscaping.

You may have found them in your house plants, bathrooms, or scaling the wall.

Your kids or pets have certainly given to chase a time or two.

However, if you have traded in your snow shovel for the tropics, transplanting from the north where no lizard could survive the brutality of mother natures wondrous winters, fear not. These agile anoles bring you no harm.

Although originally from Cuba and the Bahamas, Anolis sagrei, otherwise known as the brown anole, is common throughout central and southern Florida.

The green anole, Anolis carolinensis, the only genus native to the US, can be found throughout the southeast.

Several other species of lizards can be found throughout Florida, but these are the most common to greet you in your garden or join you for your morning coffee on the lanai.

Aside from fiercely defending their breeding territory from other anoles attempting to woo their women, these friendly Florida lizards prefer to dine on the delicacies of arthropods and worms while basking in the brilliant subtropical sun.